Bootstrap with /init, then ruthlessly prune the draft

Claude Code / CLAUDE.md·13 hours ago·verified 13 hours ago·easy·~5 min setup·verified

Use /init to generate a starter CLAUDE.md, then delete anything inaccurate or obvious before committing.

#claude-md #init #onboarding #claude-code

The problem

Writing CLAUDE.md from scratch is slow, and accepting the full /init draft verbatim pollutes every session.

The hack

Run `/init`, treat the output as a draft, keep only build/test commands and non-obvious conventions, then commit.

Why it works

/init explores the repo and detects build systems and patterns, but drafts often include inferable structure that wastes tokens.

Setup

1. In the project root, run `/init`. 2. Review the generated CLAUDE.md for wrong commands or stale conventions. 3. Keep build, test, lint, and "always do X" rules; delete directory tours Claude can discover. 4. Commit the pruned file so the team shares one source of truth.

Prompt

/init

Additional details

Re-run a quick review after major stack changes so the file does not drift.

Source

anthropic·View original →·by Anthropic Docs

Does this still work?

Discussion

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